The 60th Anniversary of the TV Show Honey West

Today female action heroes are commonplace, but this was not the case in 1965. At that time, they were generally unknown outside of comic books, paperback novels, and old movie serials. When Honey West debuted on September 17, 1965, it was then unique on American television. Quite simply, the character of the title is the first female action hero on American television. Possibly the only female action hero on television in the Anglosphere at the time was Mrs. Cathy Gale (Honor Blackman) of the British show The Avengers, who predated the TV show Honey West by about three years.

Honey West starred Anne Francis as Honey West, a female private eye who operated her own detective agency. She was skilled in the use of martial arts, as well as the use of firearms. She also relied on several gadgets, everything from exploding compacts to lipstick tube radio transmitters. She also drove a Shelby Cobra. Her partner at the agency was Sam Bolt (John Ericson). Honey also had a pet ocelot named "Bruce."

Honey West was not an original creation for television, but instead the character had originated in the 1957 novel This Girl for Hire by Gloria and Forest Fickling writing as "G.G. Fickling." As to how Honey West made the transition from the printed page to the television screen, according to Anna Gough-Yates in Action TV: Tough-Guys, Smooth Operators and Foxy Chicks, the popularity of Cathy Gale on The Avengers in the United Kingdom had come to the attention of executives at the American Broadcasting Company (ABC). They decided they wanted their own female action hero. Like Anne Francis, John Ericson was also well-established in his career, having appeared in such movies as Bad Day at Black Rock (1955) Pretty Boy Floyd (1960), and The 7 Faces of Dr. Lao (1964), as well as guest appearing on a number of TV shows.

Of course, Honey West would make some changes in going from the printed page to the television screen. In the original novels, Honey was constantly losing her clothes. It also seemed as if every man who met her came onto her. Honey West was cleaned up considerably. She kept her clothes on. Honey West was also made more competent for the television series. While in the novels, she was often in need of rescue on the TV series she saved Sam Bolt nearly as often as he saved her.

Indeed, as mentioned above, Honey West was skilled in martial arts and with firearms. Like Cathy Gale in The Avengers before her, Honey went into combat clad in leather. A major change from the novels, in which Honey was more or less a straightforward detective, was the use of the aforementioned gadgets on the show. Honey West used such gadgets as earrings that sprayed tear gas, a lipstick case radio, exploding compacts, a smoke bomb garter, and yet more. In 1965 the spy craze was at its height, so it should come as no surprise that Honey West would incorporate gadgets of the sort seen in James Bond movies and the TV show The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

Producer Aaron Spelling's first choice to play Honey West was none other than Honor Blackman, who had left The Avengers in March 1964. It was after Honor Blackman turned the role down that Anne Francis was cast in the part. Anne Francis was already well-known, having appeared in such films as Blackboard Jungle (1955), Forbidden Planet (1956), John Ericson was cast in the role of Sam Bolt, a character who did not appear in the novels.

The character of Honey West would make her first appearance on television not on her own show, but on an episode of the show Burke's Law, "Who Killed the Jackpot?." In the episode, both Amos Burke, a captain in the homicide division of the Los Angeles Police Department, and Honey West find themselves investigating a case in which a banker was found dead atop a cheap hotel. Ultimately, Honey outsmarts even Amos Burke. "Who Killed the Jackpot?" aired on April 21, 1965. The debut episode of Honey West, "The Swinging' Mrs. Jones," debuted on September 17, 1965.

For the most part, Honey West received fair reviews. Variety wrote of the show, "This sliver of a private-eye series has the cool and sexy Anne Francis as a possible saver. . She very nicely underplays her role as a femme gumshoe, but the gimmick of her judo expertise--she bounces Muscle Beach type males off the walls with predictable regularity--shouldn't be overdone." Most critics agreed with Variety's assessment of the show that it was Anne Francis who made the show work. Cleveland Amory of TV Guide was one of the few critics who took issue with Miss Francis, referring to her as "James Blonde" and writing, "The very casting--or miscasting--of Miss Francis to begin with should set your mind at ease: Her unsuitability for the role is proof it's a spoof."

Initially, Honey West did well in the ratings. Its debut episode ranked no. 19 for the week in the Nielsen ratings. Its competition on NBC was certainly weak with regard to the ratings. The World War II drama Convoy came in 95th in the ratings upon its debut. Unfortunately, Honey West's competition on CBS was the phenomenally popular Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. It had come in at no. 3 for the 1964-1965 season. For the 1965-1966 season it would rise to no. 2. Facing such competition, Honey West eventually dropped out of the top forty.

Regardless of its ratings, Honey West did produce merchandise. The AC Gilbert Toy Company manufactured a Honey West action figure along with several accessories for the doll. Ideal put out a Honey West Game. Gold Key published a single issue of a Honey West comic book.

While Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. soundly beat Honey West in the ratings, Anne Francis told author Tom Weaver in They Fought in the Creature Features: Interviews with 23 Classic Horror, Science Fiction, and Serial Stars, "Cancellation had nothing to do with the ratings--it was doing very well. But ABC was able to buy The Avengers for a lot less than it cost to produce Honey West. Once they found that this genre would work, they dropped Honey West and bought over The Avengers, which did very well here."

While Honey West lasted only one season, it would be remembered. Anne Francis was nominated for both the Emmy Award for Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Series for Honey West and won the Golden Globe for Best TV Star--Female for the series. In the Nineties, it was among the first shows aired on TV Land. It would later air on MeTV and Decades. The show was released on DVD in 2006.

Honey West would have a lasting impact. Emma Peel made her first appearance on The Avengers on September 28, 1965, in the United Kingdom, only eleven days after Honey West had first appeared on American television. Mrs. Peel first appeared on American television when The Avengers made its debut in the US on March 28, 1966. Both Honey West and Mrs. Peel would lead to further female action heroes on American television, including Batgirl, the television version of Wonder Woman, Xena: Warrior Princess, and yet more. Honey West was also only the second female professional detective on television after the 1957-1958 syndicated show Decoy starring Beverly Garland as undercover police officer Casey Jones and American television's first female private eye. Honey West was then the forerunner of Charlie's Angels, Laura Holt on Remington Steele, Maddie Hayes on Moonlighting, and every other female detective to appear on television ever since. It may have only lasted one season, but the influence of Honey West lasts to this day.

The Late Great Pat Crowley

Many may know Pat Crowley (also billed under her full name, Patricia Crowley) from the sitcom Please Don't Eat the Daisies, which ran from 1965 to 1967 on NBC. While I caught a few of its episodes when it was rerun on KPLR in the Eighties, for the most part I am familiar with Miss Crowley from her many guest appearances on television, everything from Maverick to The Closer. What is more, I adored her. Pat Crowley brought warmth and charm to many of her roles, so it was always a delight to see her when she guest-starred on a show, whether it was The Man From U.N.C.L.E. or Friends. Sadly, Pat Crowley died on September 14, 2025, just a few days shy of her 92nd birthday tomorrow, September 17.

Patricia Crowley was born on September 17, 1933, in Olyphant, Pennsylvania. Her father was a coal miner. Her older sister, Ann Crowley, was a singer and actress who appeared in the chorus of Oklahoma! and attended the High School of Performing Arts. Young Pat Crowley followed her sister into acting and to New York City. She was a senior in high school when she starred on Broadway in the comedy Southern Exposure in 1950. That same year she appeared on television in episodes of The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre, Kraft Television Theatre, and The Ford Theatre Hour.

In 1951, Pat Crowley starred as the title character on the Saturday afternoon show A Date with Judy, an adaptation of the radio show of the same name. In the Fifties, she guest-starred on the shows The Web, Suspense, Armstrong Circle Theatre, Inner Sanctum, The Philco Television Playhouse, Goodyear Television Playhouse, The United States Steel Hour, The Eddie Cantor Comedy Theatre, Lux Video Theatre, Climax!, West Point, Crossroads, The Frank Sinatra Show, General Electric Theatre, Studio 57, Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse, Wanted: Dead or Alive, The Loretta Young Show, Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, Bronco, Maverick, Cheyenne, Riverboat, The Dupont Show with June Allyson, Goodyear Theatre, The Tab Hunter Show, Hong Kong, Walt Disney Presents. and The Roaring Twenties. She made her movie debut in 1953 in Forever Female. She appeared in the movies Money from Home (1953), Red Garters (1954), The Square Jungle (1955), There's Always Tomorrow (1956), Walk the Proud Land (1956), Hollywood or Bust (1956), and Key Witness (1960). She appeared on Broadway in Four Twelves are 48 and Tovarich.

It was in 1965 that she began playing the role of Joan Nash on the sitcom Please Don't Eat the Daisies, based on Jean Kerr's 1957 book and the 1960 movie of the same name. She guest starred on the shows Michael Shayne; Tales of Wells Fargo; 87th Precinct; The Detectives; Cain's Hundred; Rawhide; Bonanza; The Twilight Zone, The Eleventh Hour; The Fugitive; Mr. Novak; 77 Sunset Strip; The Lieutenant; Arrest and Trial; The Alfred Hitchcock Hour; Dr. Kildare; The Man From U.N.C.L.E.; The Virginian; Insight; Judd for the Defense; Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Colour; and Love, American Style. She appeared in the movies The Wheeler Dealers (1960) and Send Me No Flowers (1964).

In the Seventies, Pat Crowley was a regular on the show Joe Forrester. She guest starred on the shows The Name of the Game (1971); Marcus Welby, M.D.; Columbo; The Bold Ones: The New Doctors; Alias Smith and Jones; Owen Marshall, Counsellor At Law; Griff; Matt Helm; Police Story; Police Woman; Family; Tales of the Unexpected; The Feather and Father Game; The Eddie Capra Mysteries; The Rockford Files; Friends (1979); The Love Boat; The Wonderful World of Disney, Happy Days; Hawaii Five-O; and Charlie's Angels. She appeared in the movie The Biscuit Eater (1972).

In the Eighties, Patricia Crowley was a regular on the daytime soap opera Generations. She guest-starred on the TV shows Aloha Paradise, Today's F.B.I., The Love Boat; Matt Houston; Trauma Center; Fantasy Island; Falcon Crest; Hotel; Finder of Lost Loves; Blacke's Magic; Dynasty; Murder, She Wrote; and Empty Nest.

In the Nineties, Pat Crowley was a regular on the soap opera Port Charles. She guest-starred on the shows Fraise; Thunder Alley; Melrose Place; General Hospital; Friends; Pacific Blue; Beverly Hills, 90120; Love Boat: The Next Wave; Charmed; and Family Law. In the Naughts, she guest-starred on The Bold and the Beautiful; The Closer; and Cold Case. She made her last on-screen appearance in the movie Mont Reve (2012).

Pat Crowley was an incredibly talented actress. She had a particular gift for comedy, and I am guessing many will remember her best as Joan Nash, the freelance columnist and mother of four on Please Don't Eat the Daisies. In the Bonanza episode "The Actress," she played Julia Grant, a young mother who wanted to become a star on the stage. In the pilot episode of The Man From U.N.C.L.E., 'The Vulcan Affair," she played Elaine May Donaldson, a housewife who gets caught up in a THRUSH plot to commit an assassination. In the Maverick episode "The Rivals," she played Lydia Lynley, the sentimental, book-obsessed object of playboy John Vandergelt's (Roger Moore) affection.

As gifted as Patrica Crowley was with comedy, she did well with dramatic roles as well. In the pilot for The Untouchables, she played Eliot Ness's fiancée Betty Anderson. In "The Witch," an episode of The Fugitive, she played Emily Norton, a young teacher that many of the local mothers resent because she is attractive. In the movie There's Always Tomorrow, she played the somewhat serious ingenue Ann. Pat Crowley shined in comedy, but she could perform dramatic roles. Not only was she versatile, but she was also unforgettable. Pat Crowley always made an impression on the screen. 

The 60th Anniversary of the TV Series Gidget

Although not as well-known now as it once was, Gidget was a popular multi-media franchise in the mid-20th Century. It originated with the novel Gidget, the Little Girl with Big Ideas by Frederick Kohner in 1957. The novel proved to be very successful and was followed by five more original Gidget novels. The first novel was adapted as the 1959 feature film Gidget starring Sandra Dee, which was followed by two more theatrical movies. With such success, a television series was perhaps inevitable. It was on September 15, 1965, sixty years ago today, that Gidget, starring Sally Field in the title role, debuted on ABC.

Frederick Kohner based the character of Gidget on his own daughter Kathy, who as a teenager became part of the surfing scene in Malibu Beach, which was dominated by men at the time. The novel Gidget centred on a teenage girl named Franzie (short for Franziska), whom the older male surfers nickname "Gidget (a portmanteau of "girl" and "midget") due to her petite size. The novel followed Gidget as she learned how to surf and became part of the surfing subculture. The movie Gidget (1959) would Anglicize her given name as "Francine." The TV show would change it again, this time to Frances.

To a large degree, the TV series Gidget was faithful to both the first novel and the movies. The show centred on Frances "Gidget" Lawrence (Sally Field) and her widowed father, UCLA professor Russell Lawrence (Don Porter). Like the movies, Gidget frequented the beach and was an avid surfer. Unlike the movies, the TV show concentrated a bit more on her relationship with her father and her life at school.

In many ways, the TV series drew more upon the first novel than the movies. The character of Larue Wilson (Lynette Wniter) was a minor character in the first novel and did not appear in the movies at all. For the show, she was promoted to Gidget's best friend. The TV show also included Gidget's older, married sister Anne Cooper (Betty Conner), who had appeared in the novels, as well as her husband John (Peter Duel). Gidget's boyfriend was Moondoggie (Stephen Mines), who appeared in both the books and the movies, appeared infrequently on the TV show. It was explained that he was away at Princeton. The show was narrated by Gidget herself, who often broke the fourth wall to address the audience directly.

The idea for a TV series based on Gidget, The Little Girl with Big Ideas, came about years before the TV show hit the airwaves. The January 9, 1961 issue of Television Digest reported that Screen Gems had acquired the television rights to Gidget and that Harry Ackerman would be the executive producer. If the name Harry Ackerman sounds familiar, it is perhaps because he had produced Leave It to Beaver and Bachelor Father, and would go on to produce Hazel, The Farmer's Daughter, and Bewitched.

A pilot script for a Gidget series was ordered in June 1960, but various hurdles would prevent the show from moving forward. Negotiations with Fredrick Kohner took some time.. Harry Ackerman met with Frederick Kohner in March 1961 to discuss the TV series. The two men agreed that the beach would play a large role on the TV show as it did in the novel. The show would also emphasize the relationship between Gidget and her dad, something that the movies did not really address. Ultimately, Fredrick Kohner served as script consultant on the TV show.

While negotiations with Frederick Kohner took a while, it was actually Screen Gems' parent company Columbia Pictures that was responsible for many of the delays. Columbia Pictures decided to go forward with another sequel to Gidget (what would become Gidget Goes to Rome) and nixed the television series as it would be in competition with their feature film. With concerns that the TV show might be delayed indefinitely, Harry Ackerman changed his plans for the Gidget TV show. By September 1961 the project was no longer called "Gidget." After going through such names as Billieken and Debbie, the project officially became Skipper. While Gidget centred on a girl surfer who lived with her father, Skipper centred on a girl water skier who lives with her father in Newport Beach. Unfortunately, Harry Ackerman was unable to interest anyone in Skipper.

Fortunately, by 1963 an official Gidget TV show became possible again. By June 1964 ABC expressed interest in the potential new show. The pilot was financed by Ford Motor Company, but would drop out after the pilot had been made, thinking the show might be too young in order for them to promote their new Mustang. Fortunately, Gidget picked up new sponsors in the form of Campbell Soup and Armstrong-Cork Company (manufacturers of Linoleum and other flooring products) and pharmaceutical manufacturer Menley & James.

As to casting Gidget, one cast member had actually appeared in a Gidget movie. Don Porter had played Gidget's father Russell Lawrence in Gidget Goes to Rome (1963). He had appeared in such movies as Buck Privates Come Home (1947) and The Racket (1951). On television, he had played Susie's (Ann Sothern) boss Peter Sands on Private Secretary and Ann Sothern's boss again on The Ann Sothern Show. While Don Porter was an experienced performer, Sally Field was a relative newcomer, although her mother was actress Margaret Field (often billed as Margaret Mahoney). Eighteen years old at the time, Sally Field beat out 75 other teenage girls in an open audition at Screen Gems. Sally Field had no real experience surfing, but took lessons from Phil Sauers so she could convincingly pretend to surf. Don Porter and Sally Field became close friends while working on Gidget, with Mr. Porter serving as a father figure and mentor to the young actress. He helped her a good deal with regard to acting and was also protective of her. Sally Field was historic as the first brunette to play Gidget. In the movies, Gidget had been played by blondes.

Upon its debut, Gidget was not well-received by critics. George Tashman of the newspaper column Tashman on TV was harsh on the show, particularly Gidget herself, writing, "Actually the program is rather amusing when Gidget isn't around, but she is around too much." The critic at Look magazine found the show forgettable, commenting that it was a "...blank in my memory...." The critic at The Los Angeles Times actually liked the show, describing it as "delightful."

While Gidget was not a hit with critics, initially it was not a hit with audiences either. It aired on Wednesday night, following The Patty Duke Show, opposite The Beverly Hillbillies on CBS (which ranked no. 7 in the Nielsen ratings for the year) and The Virginian on NBC (which ranked no. 23 for the year). Gidget did not receive good ratings. Unfortunately, this was true of many of ABC's shows in the 1965-1966 season. In an effort to salvage things, ABC decided to retool its schedule dramatically. Among the changes was that Gidget would be moved to Thursday night behind the second weekly episode a brand new show titled Batman on Thursday Night.

While Batman proved to be an outright phenomenon, its spectacular ratings did not help Gidget a lot. Its ratings did rise, but not enough. Unfortunately, Gidget once more aired opposite two popular shows: Daniel Boone on NBC (which ranked no. 26 for the season) and Gilligan's Island on CBS (which ranked no. 22 for the season). The fact that both shows appealed to largely the same young audience that Gidget did probably did not help.

It was then in May 1965 that ABC elected not to renew Gidget for the 1966-1967 season. It was then that something remarkable happened. Quite simply during the summer, Gidget rose in the Nielsen ratings to the point that it was in the top ten. Unfortunately, it was too little too late. Even with its late surge in the ratings, ABC would not be bringing Gidget back. Regardless, the late surge in the ratings for Gidget did confirm Sally Field's popularity, so that Screen Gems and ABC quickly provided her with another show. The Flying Nun debuted in 1967 and proved somewhat successful. Gidget also went into syndication where it proved somewhat more successful than the average single-season show.

It would seem that the late success of Gidget was not lost on producer Harry Ackerman, who would make attempts at new Gidget shows. The 1969 TV movie Gidget Grows Up was a pilot for a new show, in which Gidget, played by Karen Valentine (another brunette) becomes a tour guide at the United Nations. Her father was played by the legendary Bob Cummings and Moondoggie by Paul Petersen of The Donna Reed Show. Unfortunately, Gidget Grows Up failed to become a series. Another pilot movie aired in 1972, Gidget Gets Married. This time Gidget was played by a blonde, Monie Ellis. Macdonald Carey of Days of Our Lives fame played her father, while Michael Burns played Moondoggie. It failed to sell as well. 

It was not until the Eighties that Harry Ackerman would successfully launch a new Gidget series, although this one would be different. Gidget's Summer Reunion was a 1985, syndicated TV movie starring Caryn Richman as Gidget (once more brunette), Dean Butler as Moondoggie, and the legendary William Schallert as Gidget's father. The TV movie proved to be successful enough to launch a syndicated TV series, The New Gidget, again starring Caryn Richman, Dean Butler, and William Schallert. It ran for two seasons. The New Gidget probably should not be considered a sequel to the 1965 series or even Gidget Grows Up and Gidget Gets Married. In 1965, star Caryn Richman was only nine years old.

Today Gidget may be best known as the TV show that launched Sally Field into stardom. While this is certainly true, it seems likely that the show would not have done so had it not been popular with young viewers and continued to do so. While it received low ratings during its run, it would prove to have a better run as a syndicated rerun than most one-season shows. Indeed, it was still being aired on KPLR in St. Louis as late as the Eighties, sometimes back-to-back with The Monkees. Gidget might have lasted only one season, but it still proved to be a success.

The Late Great Bobby Hart

Bobby Hart, who co-wrote some of The Monkees' greatest hits and with Tommy Boyce was a performer in his own right, died on September 10, 2025, at the age of 86 following a long illness.

Bobby Hart was born Robert Luke Harshman on February 18, 2025, in Phoenix. After graduating from high school, Bobby Hart served in the United States Army. After his service, he went to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a singer. It was in 1959 that he met and became friends with Tommy Boyce. Robert Harshman would take the name "Bobby Hart" at the insistence of a manager when he attempted a career as a solo artist. His singles "Girl in the Window," "The Spider and the Fly," "Love Sick Blues," and "Too Many Teardrops" all failed to chart.

While Bobby Hart's solo career was not a success, he would find success with Tommy Boyce as the songwriting team Boyce and Hart. Their song "Lazy Elsie Molly" proved to be their breakthrough. It was recorded by Chubby Checker and went to no. 40 on the Billboard Hot 100. With Teddy Randazzo and his regular songwriting partner Bobby Weinstein, Bobby Hart co-wrote the song "Hurt So Bad" for Little Anthony & The Imperials. With Wes Farrell, Boyce and Hart wrote the hit "Come a Little Bit Closer" for Jay & the Americans, which peaked at no. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. With this success, Boyce and Hart were asked to join Screen Gems-Columbia Music. Among their first assignments was to write the theme for the daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives.

Boyce and Hart went on to write "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone," which was recorded by Paul Revere & The Raiders, and "Words" for The Leaves. It was in 1966 that The Monkees, a sitcom about a struggling rock group, began production. Boyce and Hart were approached about writing songs for the series. It was ultimately Boyce and Hart who wrote many of The Monkees' early songs, including their first hit, "Last Train to Clarksville," which went to no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. They also wrote the theme to the TV series, as well as six of the twelve songs on The Monkees' self-titled, debut album.

It was while Boyce and Hart were writing for The Monkees that they launched their own career as recording artists. Their first album Test Patterns, was released in 1967. Their first single, "Out and About," was released the same year. They followed "Out and About" with seven more singles. Their single "I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight" went to no. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, while "Alice Long (You're Still My Favorite Girlfriend)" went to no. 27. They also released two more albums. Boyce & Hart also guest-starred on the Screen Gems sitcoms I Dream of Jeannie, Bewitched, and The Flying Nun. They also appeared in the movie Where Angels Go Trouble Follows (1968).

With the start of the Seventies, Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart decided to pursue their own solo projects. Bobby Hart released the singles "Easy Evil" and "Hard Core Man" in the early to mid-Seventies. He also co-wrote the song "Keep On Singing" with Danny Janssen for Helen Reddy. In the mid-Seventies, Boyce & Hart teamed up with Micky Dolenz and Davy Jones to form Dolenz, Jones, Boyce, & Hart. The group toured extensively and released two albums Their self-titled debut album, released in 1976, included several original songs. Their live album, Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart – Live in Japan, was released in 1981 and featured both Monkees songs and Boyce & Hart songs.

In 1979 Bobby Hart's only solo album, The First Bobby Hart Solo Album, was released. The single "I'm On Fire," released the same year, was from the album. Two non-album singles, "The Loneliest Night" and "Lovers For the Night" were released in the late Seventies. Bobby Hart continued to write songs in ht Eighties. He wrote the song "Over You" with Austin Roberts for the movie Tender Mercies. It was nominated for the Oscar for Best Original Song. With Dick Eastman, he wrote songs for NewEdition and the song "Dominoes" for Robbie Nevil. "Dominoes" went to no. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100. With the resurgence of The Monkees' popularity in the Eighties, Boyce & Hart reunited for some live performances.

In 2015 his autobiography, Psychedelic Bubble Gum: Boyce & Hart, the Monkees, and Turning Mayhem Into Miracles, was published. It was followed in 2024 by his book Yoga and Your Hidden Soul Power: A New Path to Love, Happiness, and Abundance Using Yoga’s Ancient Niyama Wisdom."

As long-time readers of this blog know, I have been a huge fan of The Monkees since childhood. Furthermore, many of my favourite songs by The Monkees were written by Boyce & Hart. "(Theme From) The Monkees," "Last Train to Clarksville," "She," and "Valleri" all rank in my top ten favourite Monkees tracks. Of course, I was also a huge fan of Boyce & Hart as performers on their own, and I always thought they should have seen more success. I love "I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight," "Alice Long (You're Still My Favorite Girlfriend),/" and "I'm Gonna Blow You a Kiss in the Wind" as much as my favourite Monkees songs.

Of course, Bobby Hart wrote more than songs for The Monkees and Boyce & Hart. Boyce & Hart's theme for Days of Our Lives is still in use to this day. "Come a Little Bit Closer" by Jay and the Americans, "Hurt So Bad" by Little Anthony & the Imperials, and "The La La Song" by The Astronauts are all very listenable songs. Bobby Hart, particularly with Tommy Boyce, had a talent for writing hook-laden songs that one could listen to over and over.

The Late Great Polly Holliday

Polly Holliday, best known for playing Flo on the hit sitcom Alice and its spinoff Flo, died on September 9, 2025, at the age of 88.

Polly Holliday was born on July 2, 1937, in Jasper, Alabama. he grew up in Childersburg, Alabama. Her mother was a housewife, while her father was a trucker. During her summer breaks from school, she would ride with him in his truck. She graduated from Alabama College for Women at Montevallo. Afterwards, she attended Florida State University. She taught piano for a time before joining the Asolo Theatre Company in Sarasota, Florida. She was there for around seven seasons.

In 1972, she appeared in a production of Alice Childress’s Wedding Band at the Public Theatre in New York City. It was in 1974 that she made her debut on Broadway in All Over Town. She made her movie debut in W. W. and the Dixie Dance Kings in 1975. In the Seventies, she appeared in the movies Distance (1975), All the President's Men (1976), and The One and Only (1978). She made her television debut in a TV movie adaptation of Wedding Band. It was in 1976 that she began playing Flo on Alice. The character of Flo proved to be popular, so that after four seasons she was spun off into her own show. Debuting in 1980, Flo only lasted one and a half seasons. In the Seventies, Polly Holliday also guest-starred on Search for Tomorrow and NBC Special Treat. She also appeared in such TV movies as Bernice Bobs Her Hair and You Can't Take It With You.

In the Eighties, Polly Holliday continued to appear on Flo. She guest-starred on the shows American Playhouse, Private Benjamin, Stir Crazy, The Golden Girls, Amazing Stories, and The Equalizer. She appeared in the movies Gremlins (1984) and Moon Over Parador (1988). She appeared on Broadway in Arsenic and Old Lace and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

In the Nineties, Polly Holliday had a regular role on the short-lived show The Client and a recurring role on Home Improvement. She guest-starred on Homicide: Life on the Street. She appeared in the TV movies A Triumph of the Heart: The Ricky Bell Story and A Loss of Innocence. She appeared in the movies Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Mr. Wrong (1996), and The Parent Trap (1998). She appeared on Broadway in a revival of Picnic.

In the Naughts, she made her final television appearance, in the 2004 TV movie It Must Be Love. She appeared in the movies Stick It (2006), The Heartbreak Kid (2007), and Fair Game (2010). 

Flo on Alice was one of the most memorable characters to emerge on television in the Seventies, and that was largely because of Polly Holliday. While a version of the character had originated in the feature film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (where she was played by Diane Ladd), upon which Alice was based, Polly Hollyday made the character all her own. Indeed, her performance was informed by her experience when she was a child. As mentioned above, she rode with her father in his truck.  In a 1980 interview with People, she said, "We'd eat at truck stops, and there'd always be a waitress like Flo with a joke ready."

Of course, Polly Holliday played more than Flo. In the movie Gremlins, she played the none-too-nice, rich widow Ruby Deagle, a character about as far from Flo as one can get. On The Golden Girls, she guest-starred as Rose's sister Lily, who had done everything from receive a pilot's licence to setting the record for the 100 metre dash in St. Olaf. In Mrs. Doubtfire, she played nosy neighbour Gloria. Polly Holliday was a wonderful actress who played a wide array of roles during her career. 

The 50th Anniversary of the TV Series Ellery Queen

Most television shows that last only one season are swiftly forgotten. This was not the case with Ellery Queen, based on the fictional character of the same name created by Frederic Dannay and Manfred Bennington Lee. While Ellery Queen did not do particularly well in the ratings, it did develop a cult following. Because of this, it remains remembered to this day.

Ellery Queen starred Jim Hutton as the title character, a mystery novelist whose talent for deductive reasoning led him to assist his father, Inspector Richard Queen, in solving murder cases. Tom Reese played Sgt. Thomas Velie, Inspector Queen's assistant and Ellery's friend. The show's format was very much like the novels upon which the series was based. It would begin with a murder that Inspector Queen, with Ellery's assistance, investigates. As the episode unfolds, viewers get the same clues that Ellery and the Inspector do. Right before the climax of the episode in which the killer was revealed, Jim Hutton would break the fourth wall in which he summarizes the case and invites the viewer to solve the mystery on their own. The series is set immediately following World War II, in the late Forties.

Ellery Queen was based on the novels by cousins Frederic Dannay and Manfred Bennington Lee, who wrote under the pseudonym "Ellery Queen." The characters of Ellery Queen and Inspector Queen first appeared in the novel The Roman Hat Mystery in 1929. While the character of Ellery Queen would undergo various changes over the years, novels featuring the character would be published for decades. Given such popularity, Ellery Queen would make the transition to other media. The first Ellery Queen movie, The Spanish Case Mystery, starring Donald Cook, was released in 1939 and was followed by several more Ellery Queen movies in the early Forties. A radio show, The Adventures of Ellery Queen, aired from 1939 to 1948 on various networks. A TV series of the same name aired from 1950 to 1952 on DuMont and then ABC. The Adventures of Ellery Queen was followed by two more television series in the 1950s. \Ellery Queen, Detective was a syndicated television series that aired in 1954 It was followed by the 1958-1959 series The Further Adventures of Ellery Queen that aired on NBC.

The character of Ellery Queen was still popular when writing partners Richard Levinson and William Link decided to create a TV show based on the character. Together they worked both in print and on television. Notably, they created the character of Lt. Columbo in the teleplay "Enough Rope (which aired as an episode of The Chevy Mystery Show in 1960)." They later produced the TV show Columbo and also the TV show Mannix. Unfortunately, Richard Levinson and William Link's first attempt to get an Ellery Queen TV show on the air would not turn out as they planned.

The result of that first attempt was the TV movie Ellery Queen: Don't Look Behind You, which aired on November 19, 1971, on NBC. The movie was based on the 1949 Ellery Queen novel Cat of Many Tails and starred Peter Lawford as Ellery Queen and Harry Morgan as Inspector Queen. Notably, Inspector Queen was portrayed a Ellery's uncle in the movie, rather than his father. It seems possible that this may have been because Harry Morgan was simply too young to be Peter Lawford's father--he was only eight years older than Lawford. Regardless, Richard Levinson and William Link were not happy with the changes that producer Leonard Ackerman had made to their teleplay and credited it to their pseudonym Tom Leighton. Fortunately, for Messrs. Levinson and Link, Ellery Queen: Don't Look Behind You failed to sell as a TV series.

It was in 1974, with the success of Mannix and Columbo behind them, Richard Levinson and William Link decided to take another stab at an Ellery Queen series. Jim Hutton was cast as Ellery Queen and David Wayne was cast as Inspector Richard Queen, and the two characters were father and son as they were in the novels. For the pilot movie, Richard Levinson and William Link adapted the 1965 novel The Fourth Side of the Triangle, although setting it in the late Forties. Ellery Queen: Too Many Suspects aired on March 23, 1975. It was in May 1975 that NBC ordered Ellery Queen as a TV series for the 1975-1976 season.

Reviews for Ellery Queen upon its debut were mixed to positive. Jay Sharbutt of the Associated Press gave the show an enthusiastic review, writing  "NBC's new entry is old hash but fun to watch." Richard Schickel of Time was less impressed with the show, referring to it as "...a garage-sale period piece." The review by Charles Benbow of the St. Petersburg Times fell in between those by Jay Sharbutt and Richard Schickel. While stating that solving the mystery in the first episode "...could hardly make anyone feel superiror, " he also admitted "...Hutton brings such a marvelous sense of timing and inventiveness to his role as Ellery that he may ave the series for a half-season."

The only regulars on the show were Jim Hutton as Ellery Queen, David Wayne as Inspector Richard Wayne, and Tom Reese as Sgt. Velie, but the show did have a few recurring characters. John Hillerman appeared in several episodes as a radio host and Ellery's rival detective Simon Brimmer. The character was created for the shows. Ken Swofford played Frank Flannigan, a reporter who was another one of Ellery's rivals. Flannigan was also created for the show. Nina Roman played Inspector Queen's secretary.

Like Murder, She Wrote after it, Ellery Queen featured a number of big-name guest stars. For example, "The Adventure of Miss Aggie's Farewell Performance" featured Eve Arden as Vera Bethune, who played Miss Aggie on a radio soap opera. Also in the episode were such stars as Nan Martin, John McGiver, Bert Parks, and Betty White. In "The Adventure of Veronica's Veils," George Burns played the producer of a burlesque revival. Also featured in the episode were Julie Adams, Jack Carter, William Demarest, Don Porter, and Hayden Roarke. Over its run, Ellery Queen featured such names as Don Ameche, Dana Andrews, Jim Backus, Ken Berry, Tom Bosley, Joan Collins, Troy Donahue, Rhonda Fleming, Anne Francis, Larry Hagman, Roddy McDowall, Sal Mineo, Donald O'Connor, Walter Pidgeon, Vincent Price, Cesar Romero, Ray Walston, and yet others. 

Not only did Ellery Queen feature big-name guest stars, but a big name composed its theme. Elmer Bernstein was already famous for having composed the soundtracks to such movies as The Ten Commandments (1956), The Magnificent Seven (1960), To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), The Great Escape (1963), and yet more. 

Unfortunately, Ellery Queen would not do well in the ratings. Much of this may have been due to scheduling. In its original time slot on Thursday night, it aired against The Streets of San Francisco on ABC, which ranked no. 26 in the Nielsen ratings for the season. At mid-season, NBC aired it at an arguably worse time slot on Sunday night. There it aired opposite The Six Million Dollar Man on ABC (which ranked no. 9 for the season) and The Sonny and Cher Show (which ranked no. 23 for the season). In the end, NBC cancelled Ellery Queen after 22 episodes.

Ellery Queen was gone, but not forgotten. While it had received low ratings, it had also developed a cult following who loved the show. Ellery Queen would have an obvious impact on Murder, She Wrote, which Richard Levinson and William Link co-created with Peter Fisher (who was a line producer on Ellery Queen). Like Ellery Queen, Murder, She Wrote centred on a mystery solving writer and regularly featured big-name guest stars. In the Nineties Ellery Queen was rerun on A&E, Plex, and TV Land. It would be released on DVD in both Australia and the United States in 2010. While it is not currently available on streaming, in the past it has been on Hulu and Netflix. 

Today it might seem odd that a show that has continued to be popular to this day would last only one season. Beyond the show's scheduling mentioned above, it seems possible there was one other reason that Ellery Queen failed in the ratings during the 1975-1976 season. Quite simply, whodunits were out of fashion on television. The NBC Mystery Movie was winding down and would go off the air in 1977. It would seem that American television viewers wouldn't again develop a taste for whodunits until Murder, She Wrote debuted in 1984. Unlike Ellery Queen, Murder, She Wrote proved to be an enormous success and ran for 12 seasons. 

Regardless, Ellery Queen has not been forgotten and is remembered to this day. It clearly had an impact on Murder, She Wrote, which itself would have an impact on yet other mystery shows. To this day many still think of Ellery Queen first out of all the roles Jim Hutton played. It may have only lasted one season, but it will be remembered for decades to come. 

The Late Great Mark Volman

Mark Volman, the singer, guitarist, and songwriter who was also a founding member of The Turtles, died on September 5, 2025 at the age of 78 following a brief illness.

Mark Volman was born on April 19, 1947 in Los Angeles. It was his father, who loved jazz, who turned Mark Volman onto music. He began playing music when he was still very young. It was in high school that he met singer Howard Kaylan. He joined Mr. Kaylan's surf band The Nightrders, not long before they changed their name to The Crossfires.

As The Crossfires, they played a residency at the Revelaire Club in Redondo Beach, a prize they had won in a Battle of the Bands competition. The Revelaire Club was owned by Reb Foster, who would soon become their manager. He got the band signed to a brand new label called White Whale Records. After being signed to the label, The Crossfires decided to change their name. Among the names considered were "The Half Dozen" and "The Six Pack." It was Reb Foster who suggested "The Tyrtles," a name with a misspelling fashionable due to The Beatles and The Byrds. The band accepted the name, but soon dropped the misspelling to become "The Turtles." Over time the band had also shifted from surf music to a folk rock sound.

The Turtles' debut single, a cover of Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe," was released in July 1965. It proved to a hit, reaching no.8 on the Billboard Hot 100. Their singles "Let Me Be" and "You Baby" did well enough, while other singles did not do quite so well. They would not have another major hit until "Happy Together" went to no. 1o n the Billboard Hot 100 in 1967. From 1967 to 1969, The Turtles would have such hits as "She'd Rather Be with Me," "You Know What I Mean," 'She's My Girl," "Elenore," and "You Showed Me."

Unfortunately, The Turtles would see their commercial success fade. Although well-received, their final studio album, Turtle Soup, only went to no. 117 on the Billboard album chart. Their singles following "You Showed Me" from their album The Turtles Present the Battle of the Bands either performed poorly on the charts or did not chart at all. To make matters worse, Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan found themselves in conflict with White Whale Records, who wanted them to turn The Turtles into a mass production band of the type characterized by the bubblegum bands of the era. The Turtles eventually disbanded. As to White Whale Records, without their biggest act, they folded in 1971.

Following the break-up of The Turtles, Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan joined Frank Zappa's band the Mothers of Invention. They appeared on the band's albums Chunga's Revenge, Filmore East - June 1971, 200 Motels, and Just Another Band from L.A.. It was following an injury that Frank Zappa experienced at a concert in London in 1971 that Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan became the comedy music duo Flo & Eddie. Their first album, The Phlorescent Leech & Eddie was released in 1972. Flo & Eddie released albums from 1972 to 2009. The duo also began working in film and television. They composed the soundtrack for the animated film Down and Dirty Duck (1974), the movie Texas Detour (1978), and the TV show Strawberry Shortcake. They sang backing vocals on T. Rex's 1971 song "Get It On," Alice Cooper's 1980 album Flush the Fashion and on Bruce Springsteen's song "Hungry Heart."

In the Eighties, Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan hosted their own radio show on KROQ-FM in Los Angeles and WXRK in New York City. They composed music for the TV movie Peter and the Magic Egg and The Adventures of the American Rabbit (1986). It was in 1983 that Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan regained the rights to the name "The Turtles.' They then began touring as The Turtles Featuring Flo & Eddie.

In 1992, Mark Volman earned a bachelor's degree from Loyola Marymount University. In 1999, he earned a master's degree Loyola. Afterwards, he taught at Loyola and classes at Los Angeles Valley College. He would go on to become an associate at Belmont University.

The Turtles have been one of my favourite bands since childhood. In fact, they were one of the first bands of which I was even aware. By the time I was regularly listening to the radio as a child, their songs were still frequently being played. The voices of Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan then became very familiar to me. And while many of their songs were written by others (including their best known hit "Happy Together"), Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan were accomplished songwriters themselves. They wrote The Turtles' songs "Think I'll Run Away," "Elenore," and "Sound Asleep," among others. Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan were also among the earliest rock stars champion artists rights. Both as one of The Turtles and one half of Flo and Eddie, Mark Volman was was a major talent and an incredible performer. who gave us memorable songs, often with a sense of humour.